Azerbaijan will supply Georgia additional half a billion cubic meters of gas per year

SOCAR increases gas supplies to Georgia by  500 million cubic meters, and will reduce the price of social gas for the gas stations, said Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze.

Relevant amendments  were made on Friday in the memorandum signed  between SOCAR and the Azerbaijani state-owned Georgia in December 2011. The document was signed by SOCAR president Rovnag Abdullayev  and the  Georgian  Energy Minister.

"After several meetings and productive work our partner, the government of Azerbaijan and SOCAR leadership, decided to supply additional gas to Georgia. Our country will have the opportunity over the years to receive an additional 500 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan," Kaladze said at a joint press conference with Abdullayev.

According to him. Azerbaijani side did everything to settle the problem that has arisen due to technical limitations.

"At the same time reduced the price for social gas purchased from SOCAR. In addition, SOCAR has expressed willingness to reduce the price  for the supply of natural  to gas filling stations by  35-40 dollars per thousand cubic meters. Relevant  arrangements are a vivid demonstration of the friendship and good-neighborly relations and joint strategic interests that bind our two countries during that  will be firm and consistent in the future," Kaladze said.

Following these agreements, Georgia does not need additional volumes from Russia and Iran.

However, he added that formal negotiations with the Russian "Gazprom" has not yet completed.

"A few days ago we sent them our last proposal, which was announced by the Georgian side on the  fact that we should continue to receive 10% of transit fees in the form of raw materials, i.e. natural gas. But (after the agreement with SOCAR) at this stage we do not need  additional volumes.

As for Iran,  there is a  theoretically an opportunity for this, but today such a need does not exist, Kaladze said. -02D-